Strafford County Addiction Summit

Presenters: Kendra Lewis, UNH Extension and Suzanne Weete, Community Partners 

A.I.D. “is a health education program aimed at equipping everyday people with the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to be active champions for mental health.”

This training was created and piloted by researchers from Kent State college of Public Health and Center for Public Police and Health through a federal mental health awareness training grant funded by the substance abuse and Mental Health administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and is evidence based.

Recognizing and discussing mental health has become less stigmatized than in the past, but suicide and mental health struggles continue to be a world-wide crisis. To address and mitigate this issue, all members of our community need to learn how to recognize when someone is struggling with their mental health, how to speak with them about it, and how to direct them to appropriate help. This training is like others that address this issue such as Mental Health First Aid but is presented in 60-90 minutes compared to several hours, and can be taught to anyone, making it far more accessible than other training courses on this topic.

When everyone in our community, regardless of age or profession, has this knowledge, it helps break down stigma, reassures people that they are not alone, and can save lives by reducing suicide attempts and deaths.

Learning Objectives: Learners will leave the presentation with an understanding of basic mental health terminology, how to look for signs that someone may be experiencing a mental health crisis, how to approach them and what to do/not do, and how to help them identify appropriate resources and coping strategies.

Target Audiences: Any community member or professional wishing to learn how to recognize and aid someone in mental distress.

Presented by: Maggie Weaver, SOS Recovery Community Organization

In this workshop, we will discuss how SSPs can serve as a bridge for people who use drugs to access quality, dignified medical care and treatment. Together we will analyze the stigma people who use drugs too often face in medical settings, discuss strategies for advocacy and community collaboration, and learn why SSPs can have such an impact in changing the way we as providers collaborate. Using a pilot HCV testing and treatment model conducted by SOS Recovery, NH DHHS, and Lamprey Health Center, attendees will learn strategies to develop programming within their own SSPs to reduce barriers to testing and treatment, build working relationships with community providers, and empower people who use drugs as the leaders of their care. We hope to provide insight into the work happening in New Hampshire care coordination and engage in collaborative conversations about what is taking place nationwide so attendees can walk away feeling ready to push the status quo of how people who use drugs receive care in their own communities.

Presented by: Deryn Ayres, MPH, ACPS, CHW, Senior Population Health Coordinator with Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Maggie Coleman, MPH, Senior Population Health Coordinator with Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Jane Bradley Population Health Coordinator with Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Youth vaping has quickly become a significant public health concern, fueled by sleek
devices, attractive flavors, and marketing that makes nicotine use seem harmless.
Despite this, vaping carries serious risks for young people: nicotine can disrupt brain
development, heighten anxiety and depression, impair attention and learning, and
increase vulnerability to future addiction. Many youth become dependent faster than
expected due to high nicotine levels in vape products, often experiencing withdrawal,
irritability, and difficulty quitting even when motivated to stop. Preventing youth vaping is essential because early intervention protects developing brains, reduces long-term health risks, and helps young people build healthy coping skills before addiction takes hold. By staying informed and supportive, adults can play a powerful role in guiding youth toward safer, healthier choices.

This training will cover what vaping is, the devices and substances youth are using,
current trends driving its popularity, and the developmental risks associated with
nicotine and THC products. Participants will also explore local and national resources,
evidence-based prevention strategies, and practical ways to support youth through
education, open communication, and early intervention. The goal is to build adults’
knowledge and confidence so they can help young people make informed decisions in a vape-saturated environment.

This information can make a meaningful impact in the community by strengthening
adults’ ability to recognize, prevent, and respond to youth vaping. When caregivers,
educators, and community leaders understand the risks and available supports, they can have more effective conversations, identify early signs of use, and connect youth with help when needed. Shared awareness across homes, schools, and organizations fosters consistent messaging and a coordinated prevention effort. Over time, this leads to healthier coping skills, reduced vaping initiation, and a community culture that
prioritizes youth well-being. Ultimately, informed adults help create environments
where young people feel supported, understood, and empowered to make healthy
choices.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the current trends around youth vape use in New Hampshire, what a
   vape is and what’s in it, how vape devices can negatively impact youth development.
2. Learn about free campaigns, educational materials, and curriculums that you can
   use around youth vape prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery.

Target Audiences: Educators, parents, general community, youth-serving organizations,
Regional Public Health Networks, etc.

Presented by: Deirdre Colburn, Research Scientist, Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire and Kimberly Mitchell, Research Professor, Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire

Learning Objectives:
• Understand connection between risk and protective factors for youth (exposure to substance using caregivers and resiliency, for example) and their impact on mental health and substance use challenges
• Examine relationship between other co-occurring childhood adversities (i.e. abuse, neglect) and growing up in a household with a substance using caregiver
• Examine how social determinants of health (SDoH) are associated with childhood exposure to substance use, adversities, and current adult health outcomes

Target Audience: Teachers, law enforcement, clinicians, prevention professionals

Presented by: Mark Lefebvre, Author of Healing a Village: A Practical Guide to Building Recovery Ready Communities, Recovery Ready Community Consultant

Many people living with mental health conditions and/or substance use disorders who are reentering the community face challenges accessing treatment and services (e.g., health care, medication), as well as housing, employment, food, and social supports, Releasing individuals into the community without ensuring access to these basic needs increases their risk for future justice system involvement and/or recurrence of substance use.

Barriers to these essential services include stigma, criminal record, lack of access to required records, and lack of transportation. Effective aftercare planning for individuals with justice involvement must ensure the community offers sufficient recovery capital to meet these basic needs.

This workshop provides a detailed blueprint for a community coalition approach to raising recovery capital and ultimately to provide the best possible outcomes for individuals re-entering the community following incarceration.

Learning Objectives:
1. Attendees will learn about the needs of individuals re-entering communities and the role of communities to meet these needs.
2. Attendees will learn about barriers facing individuals re-entering from judicial systems.
3. Attendees will learn about the role of recovery-ready communities in meeting these needs.

Target Audiences: Community leaders, business community, healthcare providers, housing advocates, justice system professionals.